A few years into my practice of Integrative Medicine, probably in 2008, and being an avid supporter and advocate of Chelation Therapy, learning about the TACT 1 study or Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy excited me. There are a lot of books by established doctors and authors on the subject and there have been hundreds of published studies on chelation therapy, yet I know that TACT 1 will be a landmark study. It will give way for mainstream medicine to look closely into a therapy that is utilized by thousands(or even millions) of patients worldwide even without insurance paying for it for most of American consumers.
While most of our patients are already decided to start their treatment before they even come to the Center (most would communicate with us through phone, online messages or emails ahead of their appointment), it is not uncommon for some patients to be wary of our therapies. Some have zero knowledge of it, and some have heard negative feedback from other people (some of them their own doctors). Most of these feedbacks though came from very traditional (and closed-minded) individuals who may not have taken the time (or effort) to read on recent news about this therapy before making their opinions. To be able to point out a double-blind randomized clinical study that tackles chelation therapy for cardiovascular patients is both a relief and a fact to be excited about.
In 2010, results of the study was revealed and presented to the medical community, in the US in particular. Some reports in the news have mentioned that doctors were baffled of the outcome. The positive results of the study was questioned, because the study was expected to be a failure. The study was done and approved in the hope that the case of chelation therapy will be put to rest and discredited once and for all. They were proven wrong.
But for us doctors in the Integrative Medicine community, myself in particular, only believed (and hoped) that the results will be amazingly positive. And it was. TACT 1 established that chelation therapy is a SAFE therapy, if administered based on published and recommended protocols, and especially beneficial for patients who have had cardiovascular events and are diabetics. Please see attached photo on the summary of TACT 1 (as released by the American Heart Association).
A few years after, funding for a follow up study was granted. A TACT 2 study will be done to replicate the results of TACT 1 as well as establish the mechanism of action of Edetate Disodium Tetra Acetic Acid (EDTA) chelation therapy. Some authors have postulated that the researchers will be looking closely into the role of lead and cadmium toxicity and its relation to cardiovascular health. EDTA is primarily a heavy toxic metal chelator, with its patent granted primarily for the treatment of lead poisoning.
In 2016, TACT 2 was started. Sponsored primarily by Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, the study will be undertaken by the same group of researchers led by Dr. Gervasio Lamas of the same center. Collaborators of the study include the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) , National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and Duke Clinical Research Institute. Here is the link: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT02733185
To be completed in 2021, this is another study to be excited about. For us in the community, the everyday progress of our patients are adequate enough and every new patient is reason enough to continue with our work. But I will closely look into the progress of the study and hope too that the results are more that just the expected ones, as our patients (and cases) in the clinic show us every day. I hope one day too that I get to sit down and write that case report or case series that I have been planning to write for awhile and have it published. Sooner rather than later. 🙂
By:
Dr. Glorybelle Molano
Lead Physician, The Longevity Center
Integrative Medicine
The Longevity Center 